The Boy Next Door
by Spesh
Summary: Arthur, now 14, has fallen for his Ecuadorian next-door neighbor, Alberto. How will he deal with it? No smut, just angsty love. (Written two years ago, only published this year.)
1. Chapter 1

Arthur couldn't get the boy's image out of his mind. Tall, sleek, thin and tanned; just what he liked. About this particular boy, anyway.

The boy in particular was his next-door neighbor, Alberto Molina. Alberto had moved to Elwood City when Arthur was only 8, and he was immediately taken with the Ecuadorian teenager.

Arthur wouldn't have ever admitted it, and he wasn't even quite sure of it himself at the time, but his fascination with the boy and the new next-door neighbors transcended their simple newness.

Arthur thought Alberto was cute, but he was always so confused with his feelings then that it took time and the hormonal surge of puberty as well as finding himself in the haze of school, friends and girls' crushes on him to realise what he thought all those years ago. 6 years ago, to be exact. The year seemed like it went on forever; it was one event after another, then Alberto exploded into his life.

Now 14 and sure of his feelings, Arthur was sitting in the dark of his room staring up at the general direction of the ceiling thinking of all the times he'd talked to Alberto, seen Alberto, heck, even been _around _Alberto. Held in particularly high regard were the times when he'd seen Alberto practicing kendo in his backyard, or kicking his beloved "El Boomerang" soccer ball around, or the time Alberto gave Arthur his Spanish _Bionic Bunny _comics to read.

Arthur laughed at the recollection of the thought, and how he was unable to pronounce the Spanish, _Conejo Bionico_, and how he had called up Alberto so many times that particular night asking him what the simplest words meant. Arthur blushed slightly in the dark of his room, thinking how silly he must have seemed to the (mostly) calm and collected 13-year-old then.

He'd outgrown _Bionic Bunny _years ago, but not without some hesitation; after he had criticized D.W. for years for watching the now-cancelled "show for babies" _Mary Moo Cow_, D.W. thought it was about high time she took a swipe at him for things she thought Arthur should be outgrowing at 11 years old. Never wanting to look childish, Arthur promptly threw the comics out the next day, but stowed away a poster in his closet for sentimental value.

Alberto was now in college, and a mature 19-year-old. He didn't play soccer or practice kendo in his backyard anymore; he was always too busy. Whenever Arthur went over for a casual visit, Vicita or Ramon would inform him he was up in his room studying. Arthur would always walk back around the fence to his house dejected. Sometimes he'd ignore the taunts from D.W. as he walked back in the door; sometimes he'd lash out at her, telling her she wasn't very mature for a 10-year-old, which he knew annoyed her to no end. She'd always run and complain to Mom; he'd always walk to his room, lock the door and cry by himself.

It wasn't like Arthur never saw Alberto, but it wasn't without its costs before he became a high-school student. Being in elementary school when Alberto was in high school, if he wanted to see Alberto, he had to get up at the time the high school bus came down their street just to glimpse Alberto. Then, he would fall back asleep to dreams of Alberto, the content of which would make him blush as he woke up, tired, and usually late for school, a definite difference to his elementary school days.

Of course, those were the days Alberto made more of an appearance outside of his room. The age-gap between the two was such that, to Arthur's dismay, they were never in the same school together. The fact was like another obstacle to Arthur being happy. If it wasn't earlier starting times preventing him from seeing the older boy, it was Alberto being out with other friends or at some soccer game. Now it was college, and _studying_.

Arthur sighed, bringing his thoughts back to the present. The dreaded present, and the dark, lonely room which seemed to reflect his current state of mind. Why was it so hard? Was it just that Alberto had 'outgrown' him? Did he tell Vicita and his parents to tell Arthur he was busy if he wanted to see him? Arthur had seen other friends go over there. Including girls, which made Arthur's heart drop, and subsequently dampen the rest of his day the times it occurred. He always half-heartedly reassured himself with the perhaps not very accurate fact that they were just friends; after all, a guy could be friends with girls and not be romantic with them, couldn't he?


	2. Chapter 2

Only a relatively short chapter. Reviews are welcome! There's still three more chapters to go after this (all quite longer than this, I should add).

* * *

He couldn't go on like this. It had been five years already, and he had never had the courage to just say a few simple words to him. _Simple? _the voice in his head asked him. _You know it's never simple to tell another guy you like them, Arthur. Remember last time?_

Last time. Arthur did remember last time. Last time was only his second experience, after his confusing crush on his girl babysitter when he was 8, which he later put down to mutual interests and admiration. But the last time was his first confession. After he mellowed out in middle school after being one of the infamous Tough Customers in elementary, Rattles had become trapped in Arthur's thoughts. Arthur had felt like he was betraying Alberto, but the pangs of limerence for Rattles had Arthur's mind racing for much of sixth grade until he decided to throw himself headfirst into the deep end of the confession pool.

"Rattles, I—I kinda like you. Don't freak out—I know we've never really been the closest of friends, but I've grown to really like you," Arthur managed to blurt out. "It's complicating, it's really been getting to me, I—"

"Dude, I don't wanna know. You're a 7th grader, I'm a 9th grader. What did you think was going to happen? I'd get into some faggy little romance with you? You're kidding, right? Piss off, you're dreaming," Rattles had said, in his gangster-like drawl.

Arthur had immediately turned bright red, stared blankly at Rattles' smirk for a few seconds, then quickly turned and walked off. His brain had shut off after the rejection. For weeks afterwards, the scene had replayed over and over in Arthur's head like a nightmare he couldn't awake from, each time deepening the hole Rattles had recklessly tore in Arthur's chest. Lost at the bottom were his feelings. Right at the top was the hurt, and it had taken damn near three months to shrug the jerk off, even after hate had consumed the remnants of his feelings whole.

Waiting for him at the top when Arthur emerged were thoughts of Alberto; Alberto, who had never let him down intentionally. Alberto, the true occupant of Arthur's heart and mind. When he thought about it then, hadn't he always been? He'd just been sidetracked.

Arthur suddenly opened his eyes, pulling him back to his train of thought before he was set upon by his doubt, purveyor of negative past experience. But this time, Arthur couldn't let his doubt get the better of him. He knew the feelings were too precious to cast away this time, too advanced, not some careless pre-teen crush he hadn't thought through properly. He would tell Alberto. He wouldn't let it be like last time. No, it couldn't be like last time. Alberto would never desert Arthur, one of his erstwhile good friends. It was just life that had gotten in the way, Arthur told himself. Life always did...


	3. Chapter 3

High school had been constant work ever since Arthur started. If he had thought Mr. Ratburn was harsh with his assignment of homework in third grade, ninth grade English teacher Mr. Peters was the master of torture via homework. It consumed most of Arthur's time; if he wasn't watching TV or hanging out with Buster and the rest, he was doing homework, because he knew he'd get chewed out by Peters if it wasn't done by the next day.

Before he went to sleep was one of the only times Arthur truly had to himself, because he knew D.W. and his Mom and Dad were asleep... as was Alberto. He turned his head around on the pillow and looked to the window across his room. Alberto's window was directly facing his, but he didn't even know why he bothered getting up to look out his window at it. The curtains were always drawn these days, even when it was day, and even when (perhaps especially when) Alberto had friends over. Arthur knew Alberto kept the other windows' curtains open to let some light in, but from the Reads' backyard, it was hard to look in the second-floor room.

Arthur had made up his mind about going over to the Molinas' tomorrow morning. He decided not to leave it until later in the day in case Alberto had gone to a soccer game or to hang out with friends, as it was a Saturday. No doubt Buster would come around or call Arthur up to go do something as well.

Arthur walked back over to his bed without a sound and slid back underneath his blanket, shutting his eyes and drifting into a dreamless sleep.

Arthur awoke in the morning with a slight headache; he didn't know why, but he knew that it wasn't the best condition in which to confess your love for someone.

After slipping out of his T-shirt and boxers which he had taken to wearing in recent years after feeling he had outgrown pajamas, Arthur made his way downstairs for breakfast. It was just past 9:30, which Arthur considered a pretty suitable time to go next door to see Alberto.

"Hey, Arthur," said his Dad, standing at the kitchen bench making one of his catering concoctions, a job which he had held since Arthur could remember. His Mom wasn't around, but Arthur didn't ask.

"Hey," Arthur responded. Not too downbeat, and not too upbeat either. He could hear D.W. in the lounge room watching something on TV, probably some teen soap show which he had little interest in.

He poured himself Crunch, which he had eaten every morning for years, which D.W. had presumably left out on the table. Going through the motions of pouring the milk into his bowl and buttering toast which had been left there too, Arthur had barely noticed his nerves which had been present not a moment ago, along with his now evaporating headache. After he paid attention to them however, they began to dampen the whole breakfast affair.

Breakfast was over in 10 minutes, and his Mom still hadn't appeared, so Arthur decided to tell his Dad his plans and head next door.

"Oh, I was going to tell you. She's next door with the Molinas, talking about their accounting details," his Dad replied, with a slightly concerned look on his face.

"Oh well, I'm just going over to see Alberto. I feel like I haven't talked to him in forever. I won't get in their way, anyway," Arthur reasoned, his nerves urging him to just get the whole thing over and done with.

"I'm sure she'll be okay with that. See you later," his Dad nodded, smiling, showing the deep age lines on his face, which Arthur hadn't really noticed that well before.

Arthur set out the front door without so much as a word to D.W. or from her, still occupied by the TV. However, old habits die hard; he heard D.W. question his Dad mere seconds after he closed the door.

_Okay, Arthur, forget about that. You're doing this now. You've taken the first few steps. Just a few more, and you'll be over there. Do it, and don't stop yourself_, the voice of confidence in his head told him.

Arthur walked next door, wracked with nerves regardless. Stepping up onto the step out the front of the door, he swallowed, and knocked on the Molinas' door.

"Hello Arthur," came the reply seconds later, as the door swung open, and the Molina matriarch greeted him with enthusiasm.

"Hello, Mrs. Molina," Arthur said, with a sincere smile on his face. He hadn't talked to her almost as long as he hadn't talked to Alberto.

"Are you here to see Jane? She's just about done, but come in anyway," she said.

Arthur chuckled slightly.

"My Dad just told me. But I was actually here to see Alberto. I was just thinking, I haven't talked to him in ages. It's been on my mind for a while now," Arthur exclaimed.

"Oh, that should be fine. Go on up, I think he just got up. I heard footsteps up there a while ago. If not, wake him up. He's been sleeping for long enough anyway," she laughed.

"Thanks," Arthur said, stepping over the threshold, calling to his Mom as he passed the lounge.

Arthur made his way up the stairs, thinking of the times he'd been up them, especially the first, when, short of anything to say, had nervously blurted out, "Pretty cool stairs," to Alberto, who was escorting him to tour his then newly-set up room.

As he reached the top of the stairs, he crossed to Alberto's door. He paused even longer here than outside his own, or even outside the Molinas' house. But the thoughts of friendship came swelling back, and he was overwhelmed by the impulse to knock... and to reach his final destination.


	4. Chapter 4

The penultimate chapter! After you finish this, you might be wondering what could be left, but I promise there is still a bit more that's yet to happen. Reviews, as always, are welcome! I'd love to know what you think of my story (good or perhaps bad). I just wish Alberto were actually in more episodes of the show itself. I think he's a great character and it'd be nice to see Arthur actually make a slightly older friend. Anyway, to the story...

* * *

Two short knocks, and the door quickly swung open, with Alberto giving a wary look around before recognizing Arthur standing before him with his curious brown eyes.

"Oh! Hey, Arthur," Alberto greeted him, straightening up. "Come in, dude. I haven't seen you in... God, I don't even remember, ha. I basically just got out of bed."

Arthur forced himself to smile, as seeing Alberto and hearing him speak so casually to Arthur rendered him dumbstruck. Here he was, right in front of him and inviting him into his room—the object of his affections, the one whose image he couldn't shake, and whatever other love clichés applied to the situation he was in.

He walked into Alberto's room and sat down on the chair Alberto's hand offered him, to which he managed to utter a squeaky "Thanks." He wasn't sure how to start, but Arthur's attention was now shifted, looking at the radically different room he was now seated in to the one he first stepped into six years ago.

"Your... room changed," Arthur chirped unexpectedly. He quickly shut up when Alberto gave him an amused stare, one which Arthur felt reflected the feelings of unfamiliarity he was feeling being in the other teenager's room.

The _Bionic Bunny_ posters of time gone by were now replaced with rock band posters, some of which even Arthur wasn't familiar with. Others were of cars, and some, exemplified by a large _Transformers _film poster, were of recent movies. Hanging up in the corner was a faded Ecuadorian flag.

"So, what have you been up to these days?" Alberto's pointed question broke through Arthur's observation of the other boy's room.

"Uh, um, you know, high school. The homework's killing me," Arthur laughed, unable to look Alberto directly in the eyes save for a quick glimpse as he started again. "Hanging out with friends, you know, the usual. How've you been? How's college?"

Alberto combed his fingers through his dark Latino hair before responding in his notably more mature accented voice. "Ah, it's been all right, this and that. Physical education is involving, obviously," he answered. "I'm good, basically the same as you, but college work's not the best thing to lift your mood, you know? Demanding and all that."

"Yeah," was all Arthur managed to say in reply. He'd almost forgotten what he had come in for, with the shift of scene and conversation. "Um, hey Alberto, do you mind if I tell you something?"

"Sure, what?" came Alberto's coolly delivered reply. The butterflies hit Arthur full force, rendering him unable to word or even think about his heavy confession. _Alberto has no clue_, Arthur thought. _How can I just blurt out some confession after that?_

Arthur took a breath, momentarily unconcerned with what Alberto thought of the forthcoming content of Arthur's speech.

_It's now or never, Arthur. Forget last time, forget everything but the here and now. This isn't the end of your life, nor love. Just do it._

"I—I've been meaning to tell you for... years now, pretty much. Ever since you've moved here, and we became good friends, I've... really liked you, Alberto. I know we've drifted apart, but... I never wanted it to be like that. Things change, though, so I suppose it's no one's fault in particular..." Arthur drifted off, with the realization that what he had just said would forever change the climate of their interactions no matter what.

"Whoa, Arthur. You're, you're... really?" Alberto said after several seconds of blank looks. "I don't know what to say to that, but..."

"It's okay, really. I don't expect anything. It's all kind of confusing to me, even," Arthur said in stops and starts, as Alberto alternated between looks at his floor and glances back up to Arthur.

Alberto spoke quicker than Arthur expected. "I'm okay with it. It's fine, man, but, I kinda thought you knew... I'm straight. You know I've had girlfriends, right? I... Arthur, you're not the first guy to tell me, don't panic. I'm fine with the whole thing," he explained. "I have gay friends at college, it's completely cool with me. I mean it when I say I don't think of you any different. It's a bit surprising, sure, but...

"Let's take it for what it is. You're fourteen, I'm nineteen. Where would we go from this, if I was? You're a great guy, Arthur, but, we're just... we can only be friends, okay? I'm trying to say this as best I can." Alberto stopped, cleared his throat, and waited for Arthur's response. But Arthur didn't know what to say, which wasn't surprising given the circumstances. It seemed like he'd been let down in the nicest way possible, but he didn't know how to respond. It wasn't a hostile brush-off like Rattles, but it was... disconcerting nonetheless.

"Yeah... yeah, that's cool, I just—" Arthur swallowed impulsively. "I just needed to tell you, it's been at me for ages. You've always been a really good friend to me... even when I lost your soccer ball all those years ago, which I thought you'd be way mad about."

"It's back now, though. It's fine. I still have it somewhere. I play in the local games with the college team now, so I don't use old Boomerang," Alberto declared. "Either way, I couldn't get mad at you, Arthur. Or hate you for something like that or this, it'd be too silly. I kind of see you as a younger _hermano _anyway."

It kind of felt like Alberto was trying to wrap the whole deal up for some reason. But Arthur got the feeling he wasn't uncomfortable with it; he seemed totally at ease, leaning his weight back on his arms as he sat on the edge of his bed.

Alberto answered his unasked question.

"So, is that all you wanted me for? I don't mean to get you out, but I was just about to get ready to meet up with some friends for lunch. I have a game later today, too," Alberto explained. "Aside from that, we all need to hang out again soon, the Molinas and the Reads. Like during the blackout. That was fun. I haven't seen D.W. in ages, nor Kate. She'd be seven or so now, right? Also, me and you can go play soccer one afternoon at the park if you want, too."

"That'd be great! I was thinking that too, the families hanging out thing," Arthur answered, disguising his initial unexpected enthusiasm. "Good luck with your game today," he said before getting up. Alberto got up to open his bedroom door Arthur didn't even hear or notice him shut.

"Thanks. See you later! Not as long this time, eh?" Alberto chuckled, closing his door as Arthur walked out, let down, but calmer than expected, and... slightly happier, too.


	5. Chapter 5

Well, here it is! The final chapter... about a month and a half after I initially intended! I'm still undecided about making a sequel (of sorts, anyway). I've been steadily watching more _Arthur_ lately though, so who knows? Anyway, enjoy, and if you have anything to say, review!

* * *

Arthur's life passed at the same pace it usually did, even while he was thinking about Alberto. High school was mostly uneventful, apart from the dreaded homework. On a more personal level, now that he knew Alberto was straight, something had changed… he had faded somewhat from the bespectacled boy's thoughts. But that didn't completely erase the events of last Saturday's from his mind, especially as he was doing exactly what he had before he went over there last week… lying in bed on a Saturday morning. It just reminded him that it was in the _past_. He hadn't seen Alberto since last week, apart from one glimpse of him as he got into his car of a morning to leave for University. One thing which had lit up the day after he was let down, though, was overhearing his mother telling his Dad they had organised a barbecue with the Molinas for the next Sunday. Now that it had come to the point of calling that impending day tomorrow, Arthur didn't know how to feel.

Should he be excited? Nervous? The afternoon after he'd been over to see Alberto, Arthur had told Buster the latest at the swing set in the park, which they still sat and talked on despite their teenage years. Buster was the only one who knew Arthur preferred boys to girls, and even though Buster was straight, he didn't treat Arthur any different. They had been friends ever since Arthur could remember. If he didn't know any better, he would have sworn they were friends from birth, and nothing, not even sexuality, could come between that, even though now, as Arthur recalled, they'd had some pretty silly fights in the past.

"So, he was cool with it all? That's a relief. I wasn't too sure how Alberto would feel about something like that," Buster thought out loud. "I kind of always got the feeling he was straight, though. I didn't want to tell you when you told me a few months ago because it was just a feeling… like, I didn't know for sure."

"Yeah, that's okay, Buster. Hey, um, you haven't told anyone else, have you?" Arthur asked, looking over at Buster rocking back and forth on his swing.

"No! I wouldn't do that, buddy. Not even to Francine… I know how she'd react, given she had a thing for you in middle school. And Muffy! You know what'd she say. She might message everyone on her _special_ smartphone. And—" Buster stopped suddenly as he looked over at Arthur's worried face. "Hey, I'm sorry, I speak without thinking, you know, I… I feel bad now, man."

"No, it's fine. You're probably right," Arthur admitted. "It's okay. At least he didn't do it like Rattles did. I'm kind of relieved in a way. It'll go away… Alberto is first and foremost a friend, anyway."

Buster nodded in agreement, and that was that, as he then changed the topic to the plot of the latest episode of his favorite crime show _NCIS_, his latest fascination after his mother had finally thrown out and cleaned his rancid food cabinet years ago, and his interest in the paranormal had dimmed.

Now it was the next week, and Arthur felt the sentiments he'd guessed were having a delayed reaction. It _was _fading, little by little. It had only been a week. _It can't go anywhere from here_, he'd said to himself. _This is the best thing to do._

Arthur liked lying in bed of a lazy weekend morning and thinking without his glasses on before doing anything. It was like shedding his focused vision with his glasses on led him to be able to focus on things in his mind clearly, and now was an exemplary time. However, it wasn't so comforting at the moment. Arthur reassured himself he hadn't done anything wrong. He hadn't been put down; he'd been _let_ down, sure, but Alberto liked girls, and that was that. That wasn't going to change… and nor was their age difference.

He eventually decided to take his mind off it, and take Pal for a walk. Maybe he'd end up at the park; he didn't know. Pal was now six years old, and a full grown, calmer Golden Retriever. After eating breakfast, which Arthur felt he ate fast considering his mood and the fact he wasn't in any major hurry to get anywhere, he told his Mum and Dad he was taking Pal for a walk to the park. Even though Arthur wasn't sure he was going there directly yet, he walked out the door with purpose and Pal in tow after rousing him from his lazy sleep against one of the couches in the den.

Arthur took the path to the east so he wouldn't pass in front of the Molinas' house. Alberto could have seen him if he'd wanted to, but Arthur wasn't concerned about being watched by him, even with the knowledge he'd been the object of his affection for years. Besides, it was mere impulse that had guided him in the other direction when he stepped out the front door.

The sky was clear, and the air was warm, not too far towards one extreme or the other. It was an ideal day for late summer. Pal wasn't pulling too far ahead on the lead and wasn't too concerned with marking every telephone pole or fence, but he did bark at a few dogs behind fences every now and again. It was a nice day to walk Pal too. Arthur felt like the world was giving him a bright and calm day out to take his mind off certain things, even though he didn't believe that there was some cosmic alignment making things fall into a neat line for him, or coincidence, necessarily. Or at least, he didn't at that time.

When he came across his long-time school friend Alan, the first thought that came to mind was his nickname 'Brain', but he didn't think anything of it. At that moment, however, a thought burst into life as he saw Brain pull out his bike from his garage and get it ready to ride, like the group along with Arthur used to do. It was intriguing, like viewing someone or something for the first time. He wondered how the thought had come to him, but Arthur told himself that was how the best things came to life; in a sudden, enlightening moment.

"Hey, Brain," he called to the slightly older boy, his classmate, and the smartest guy he knew. Brain always knew what to say, even if he could get technical, and analyze a lot of things. But that was what Arthur liked about him.

Brain waved, and pedaled over on his bike. "Hey, Arthur. Hey, Pal," he remarked, looking down at the panting Golden Retriever. He looked back to Arthur. "You heading to the park? I am."

"Yeah," Arthur answered, beaming. "Yeah, I am."


End file.
